The Cowboys and Texans are both staring at a season-altering Week 4 game, but the confidence level around Dallas is not exactly soaring. After a combined 1-5 start, these teams are already in must-win territory, with the Cowboys sitting at 1-2 and Houston at 0-3.
Houston has been here before. The Texans climbed out of an 0-3 start in 2025, so they know what that kind of hole feels like.
But another loss would put them in brutal historical company. Since 1990, only one team has reached the playoffs after starting 0-4, and that was the 1992 San Diego Chargers.
Dallas has a little more breathing room, at least in theory. A 1-3 start does not slam the door shut the way 0-4 almost certainly would.
Since 1990, 37 teams have still made the playoffs after beginning 1-3. Since the postseason expanded to 14 teams in 2020, seven teams have pulled it off, including last year’s Texans and the Carolina Panthers.
This will be the eighth meeting between the franchises. Dallas has won four of the previous seven, but Houston took the most recent matchup in 2024.
The problem for the Cowboys is that this matchup looks rough on both sides of the ball. Houston’s secondary is good enough to make Dak Prescott work longer than he wants to, and that extra time could be a gift to an elite Texans pass rush. Dallas’ offensive line is already under pressure, and this is not the kind of front that looks friendly on paper.
There may not be much help on the ground, either. Houston owns the fifth-best run defense in the NFL, which makes life even tougher for a Cowboys offense that could already be forced into uncomfortable situations.
The Texans have actually been stronger on offense than on defense, especially through the air, and that is a bad fit for a Dallas secondary that was already struggling before the injuries piled up. The Cowboys’ pass defense is not even their biggest issue on that side of the ball, either. Their run defense has been one of the worst in the league, and that opens the door for a Texans rushing attack that has had its own issues.
Put it together, and it is hard to see Dallas finding enough answers. Houston’s defense has looked better than its season numbers suggest, and it has the tools to keep the Cowboys from getting comfortable offensively.
The call here: the Texans protect home field, drop Dallas to 1-3, and send the Cowboys into Week 5 in a tough spot.
In Other News...
Joey Porter Jr. Trade Just Dragged Cowboys Into A Steelers Controversy
The Joey Porter Jr. trade has stirred more than just roster talk around Dallas. After the Cowboys landed the cornerback from Pittsburgh, former Steelers running back LeVeon Bell jumped on social media to take aim at his old team, using the move to reopen broader questions about how the franchise has handled some of the Black players it drafted.
Bells comments pointed to Porter and former wide receiver George Pickens while leaving linebacker T.J. Watt out of the criticism, and his own history with the Steelers added another layer to the conversation. For the Cowboys, the deal itself is the football piece, but the surrounding noise has ensured Porter arrives in Dallas with a spotlight that reaches well beyond the field. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Tight End Need Puts An Awkward Cowboys Trade Idea In Play
The Cowboys 2023 draft class has already thinned out, and tight end Luke Schoonmaker is still trying to carve out a clearer role in Dallas. He remains behind Jake Ferguson on the depth chart, which has left him as one of the few members of that class still on the roster without a firm path to starting snaps.
That uncertainty has even opened the door to a curious trade thought, with analyst Kristopher Knox pointing to teams like the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles as possible landing spots for Schoonmaker. For Dallas, the awkward part is obvious: the idea of moving a young tight end within the division is never easy to ignore, especially when the roster still has so little left from that draft class. [Read more 🡒]
Tony Pollard Could Be Headed Back Into A Contender's Plans
The Titans rough 0-3 start has already put a spotlight on their offense, and it has also reopened questions about what comes next for Tony Pollard. ESPNs Dan Graziano floated the idea that the veteran running back could become a trade candidate if he stays healthy and Tennessee decides it does not plan to extend his contract, a development that would put him on the radar of teams looking for backfield help.
For Cowboys fans, it is the sort of early-season storyline worth watching because Pollard remains a familiar name with real market value if Tennessee keeps sliding. The Saints, Vikings and Packers were all mentioned as possible suitors if the Titans drift out of playoff contention, which could turn Pollard into one of the more interesting available pieces before the trade deadline picture starts to clear. [Read more 🡒]